Counter-balanced closure



sept. 26, 195o Ain. G. TAYLOR couNTERBALANcEn cLosURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Jan. 50, 1946 INVENTOR. Dona/d a?. '75g/or:

jZ/ui ATTORNEYS sept 26, 1950 D. G. TAYLOR 2,523,929

COUNTERBALANCED cLosuRE INVENTOR.

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f ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1950 D. `c a. TAYLoR 2,523,929

` COUNTERBALANCED CLOSURE Filed Jan. 30, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

DOOS/d c; 7gg/On ATTORNEYS.

' tially open position.

Patented Sept. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in counterbalanced closures. v

The primary object of this invention is the provision of acounterbalanced cabinet construction which embodies means arranged in acompact and efficient relationshiplfor opening and closing a pluralityof horizontally hinged closure sections. Y

Present day side hinged and sliding doorsl for c-abinets have decideddisadvantages in that the doors are positioned where they will provideinterference t easy access or are impractical in that they prevent fullaccess to the interior of the cabinet. It is therefore a Ipurpose ofthis invention to provide an eflicient horizontally hinged closureconstruction for cabinets such as are used in kitchens, pantries,laboratories, workshops and the like, of a nature which will permit theclosure sections to be easily openedand closed so that continuous accessmay be hadl to the entire interior of the cabinet. Y

A further object of this invention is the provision of a counterbalancedclosure structure wherein the closure comprises a plurality of sectionsmounted upon horizontal pivot axes in which the counterbalancingmechanism includes means oifering a retarding action to the initialopening of the closure sections, and which retarding action is releasedduring a closing movement of the closure Sections.` A

O-ther objects and advantages of this invention will be -apparent fromthe following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification7 andwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views- Figure l is a fragmentary front elevationof a cabinet structure showing the closure construction and in dottedlines details of the counterbalancing mechanism.

(Cl. 1GO-190) Figure '7 is a side elevation, partly in section,

showing a ratchet mechanism associated with the pulley of Figure 6. Y

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein for the purpose of illustration is shown onlyY a preferredembodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate aframework or cabinet construction having a closure B associated inhorireceiving details of the counterbalancingmechanism C consisting ofrelatively spaced side walls I3 and I4 and a rear 'wall I5 defining 3achamber which preferably extends from the top to the bottom of thecab-inet but, of course, is very shal- Figure 2 is a Vertical crosssectional view taken through thek closure construction and itscounterbalancing mechanism. v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2 but withthe closure sections in par- Figure 4 is a cross sectional Yview similarYto Figure 2 but withthe closure sections in lfully l low in depth andnarrow as Vshown in the draw-E ings. The interior of the cabinet mayhave shelving indicated at 20 in any desired arrangement. Thisarrangement extends to the rightand left of the walls I3 and I4 and maycontinue behind the rear wall I5, and it is within the contemplation ofthis invention to provide a closure structure with counterbalancingmechanisms of similar nature at each side of a cabinet, and in whichcase there will be no intermediate counter-v balancing arrangement.

The closure structure B preferably consists of upper and 'lower sections25 and 26 hingedly connected upon a horizontal `pivot 2l. The top of theupper sectionv 25 is hingedly connected at :29 upon .a horizontal axis,and upon the exterior of the closure 26 there ips-provided a hand hold33j These closure sections, of course, extend from end to end of thecabinet arrangement'and4 the counterbalancing. details. I

Referring to the counterbalancing mechanism C I provide acounterbalancing weight 40 secured A' to'afcable or cord 4I whichextends upwardly from the weight 40 and is trained over a pulley ft2secured upon the top Wall Il of the cabinet within the compartmentprovided for the counterbalancing mechanism; the cable extendingdownwardly and being secured at its lower end to the upper end of anL-shaped hinge or member 43 which is pivotally connected at 44 uponthe'lower-l margin of the closure section 26. This constitutes acounterbalancing mechanism for the lower closure section 26, except asmodified by its association with the details to be hereinafter described.

Secured upon the inner upper margin of the upper closure section 25 isan inwardly extending bracket arm arrangement consisting of an attachingplate 45 which is secured to the inside of the upper closure section 25.It has xedly and rigidly connected therewith a pair of inwardlyextending parallel arms 4l which at their ends remote from the attachingplate 45 rotatably support a shaft 49 upon which a pulley 50 is mounted.This is a grooved pulley and it is adapted to have the cable 4| which isconnected to the lower closure section 26 wound about the pulley 5|] forone or more turns, as shown in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings.

The pulley 50 is provided with a ratchet wheel 5| secured thereto, theteeth of which are positioned to cooperate with a detent or paWl 53under such circumstances that the pulley can only rotate clockwise. Thisdetent 53 is mounted in a horizontal brace 54 connecting the arms 4l andit is spring urged at '55 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel 5|.

The counterbalancing arrangement for the upper closure section 25consists of counterbalancing weights 6|] and 6| supported by means ofrods B2 and 63 upon the shaft 49. The upper ends of these rods 62 and 63are suitably provided with sleeves 64 for this purpose and the sleevesare retained in properly spaced relation :by means of spacing sleeves 65located upon the shaft 49.

The dead load provided by the weights 4U, 60 and 6| is slightly lessthan that required to completely counterbalance or open the closurearrangement B. It will be noted that the pulley 42 is mounted in thecabinet so that when the closure sections are shut the cable 4| will bejust slightly off a vertical position within the cabinet sectionsprovided therefor. In this position the bracket arms 4l, as shown inFigure 2, are inclined upwardly and inwardly and the said bracketarrangement holds the counterweight 40 slightly between and also to therear of the other weights 60 and 6|. In this position of parts it isobvious that, since the cable or cord 4| is trained for one completeturn, at least, around the pulley 50, a retarding action will be imposedupon theinitial opening of the closure. Assuming the parts to be in theposition of Figure 2, the operator grasping the handle 30 imposes alifting action which will swing the closure sections upon their pivot 21and also the pivot 29. Force is imposed by the operator sufficient toovercome friction to relative sliding of the cable upon thecircumference of the pulley 50, since it will `be noted that from theposition shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3, a slidingaction of the cable upon the pulley circumference will be necessary dueto the fact that the distance between the cable connection of the cableupon the closure section 26 and the pulley 59 is decreased; thecounterweight 4|), of course, holding the cable taut. When the positionshown in Figure 3 is reached the relative frictional sliding of thecable upon the pulley circumference will cease, because incidental tothe provision of the bracket arm arrangement the length of the cablebetween the pulley 50 at this point and the hinge 43, measured aroundthe pulley 42, remains substantially constant until the full openposition shown in Figure 4 is reached. To swing the closure fully openedfrom position shown in Figure 3, it will be necessary to pull downwardlyupon a section of means to hold the closure in fully opened position.This arrangement consists of upper and lower rigid sections lil andhingedly connected at 12. The section 7E) is shorter and it is pivotallymounted upon a rod 'i3 mounted upon the bracket arms 4l intermediatetheir ends. A spiral spring 'I5 connected at one end with the section'l0 and at its opposite end with the adjacent bracket arm normally urgesthe section 'l0 forwardly, as shown in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings.

A partition wall is placed in the counterbalancing weight compartmentbetween the walls i3 and I4 inwardly a short distance from the plane ofthe closed door sections 5 and 26 and in the space between thispartition and the marginal edges of the framework against which theclosure sections abut operates the depending pull section 1|. The latterat its lower end is provided with an apertured handle engaging member orhook 83 having an opening 84 therein which is adapted to engage over aretaining pin 85 when the closure sections are in fully open position inorder to hold and lock said closure sections in open position againstclosing. When it is desired to shut the closure sections, it is merelynecessary for the operator to grasp the hook 83 or section '|I and pullthe same forwardly to release hook 83 from pin 85. Under its own weightthe closure will then move to fully closed position. During this actionit will be noted that very little retarding action will be imposed tothe closure action as a result of the winding of the cable 4| upon thepulley 5i), because the pulley will rotate inasmuch as its ratchet willrotate clockwise notwithstanding the detent 53, as is quite obvious fromFigure 7.

If desired a latch El may be provided to hold the closure sections inshut position.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an improved counterbalancingarrangement for cabinet closures has been provided which is of suchnature as to facilitate the opening and closing action and position theclosure in an out of the way position. Of course this is all of thenature to facilitate access to the contents of the cabinet and savetime, as well as inconvenience.

The fact that the sections 'I0 and are hinged enables the section 1| tobe substantially vertically positioned at all times and in this respectthe spring 15 cooperates. Of course in lieu of pull sections such asshown I may employ a single cord secured to the shaft 'i3 for engagementwith the pin 85.

It will be apparent, of course, that the hinge 43 is of considerableimportance since it posi-- tions the cable 4| where it will not greatlyinterfere with the complete opening action of the closure sections. l

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a counterbalancing cabinet closure construction the combination ofa cabinet, a closure construction for the cabinet comprising a pluralityof horizontally hinged sections, the uppermost of which is horizontallyhinged upon the cabinet, a cable connected to the lower portion of thelowermost of the closure sections, a pulley rotatably mounted in thecabinet above the hinged connection of the uppermost section of theclosure construction to said cabinet over which said cable is trained, acounterweight upon the opposite end of the cable, and means connectedwith the uppermost section of the closure construction having the cablebetween the pulley and the counterweight trained thereupon for imposinga retarding action to the opening movement of the closure construction,said means comprising a pulley and ratchet means normally preventingrotation of the pulley during an opening movement of said closureconstruction.

2. In a closure construction for cabinets and the like the combinationof a framework, a closure construction comprising a plurality of hori-Zontally hinged closure sections, the uppermost of which is horizontallyhinged to the framework, a bracket arm construction connected with thetop marginal portion of tne uppermost of the closure sections andextending inwardly and beyond the hinged connection of the uppermostclosure section upon the framework, a pulley upon the end portion of thebracket arm construction remote from its closure connection, ratchetmeans normally preventing rotation of the pulley in one direction, acable connected with the lower marginal -portion of the lowermost of theclosure sections, a pulley mounted upon the framework above the hingedconnection of the closure construction upon the framework, said cablebeing trained over said last-named pulley, a counterweight upon thelower end of the cable, said cable between the counterweight and saidlast named pulley being wound for at least one turn around the pulley ofsaid bracket arm construction.

3. In a closure construction for cabinets and the f like the combinationof a framework, a closure construction comprising a plurality ofhorizontally hinged closure sections, the uppermost of which ishorizontally hinged to the framework, a bracket arm constructionconnected with the top marginal portion of the uppermost of the closuresections and extending inwardly and beyond the hinged connection of theuppermost closure section upon the framework, a pulley upon the endportion of the bracket arm construction remote i from its closureconnection, ratchet means normally preventing rrotation of the pulley inone direction only, a cable connected with the lower marginal portion ofthe lowermost of the closure sections, a pulley mounted upon theframework above the hinged connection of the closure construction uponthe framework, said cable being trained over said last-named pulley, acounterweight upon the lower end of the cable, said cable between thecounterweig'nt and the last-named pulley being wound for at least oneturn around the pulley of said bracket arm construction, andcounterweight means suspended from the bracket arm construction remotefrom its connection with respect to the closure construction,

, fl. In a counterbalanced closure construction for cabinets and thelike the combination of a framework, a closure construction comprisinguppermost and lowermost closure sections, a horizontal hinged connectionbetween the closure sections, a hinged connection between said uppermostsection and the framework, a cable connected with the lower marginalportion of the lowermost closure section extending upwardly to a pointabove the hinged connection of the uppermost section of the closureconstruction with the framework, pulley means at the said point abovethe hinging of the closure construction upon said framework over whichsaid cable is trained, a counterweight upon the end of the cable remotefrom its connection with said lowermost closure section, a bracket armconstruction connected with the upper marginal portion of the uppermostclosure section extending beyond the upper marginal portion of the upperclosure section, a shaft carried by said bracket arm construction remotefrom the connection of said bracket arm construction with said uppermarginal portion a pulley upon the shaft, over which last-named pulleythe said cable is also trained with at least one turn around thecircumference thereof and counterweight suspended directly from saidshaft.

DONALD G. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

